Now, fitness vital for promotion in Army

Faced with a decline in fitness levels and rising cases of obesity and lifestyle diseases among its officers, the Army is going to bring in stricter levels for fitness for its officers.

Those not clearing the new format of physical tests would face penalties in terms of future promotions, foreign assignments, career courses and annual increments, top sources told The Tribune.

Each officer will get a maximum of three attempts in his/her in a six-month cycle to clear the mandatory battles physical efficiency tests. Waivers will be given to those posted in Field, high altitude, counterinsurgency and the United Nation postings.The testing parameters remain the same but the conduct of the test will be centralised under each of the six commands. The outcome of these tests will be connected to further progression in the Army. The Army Commander conference chaired by Army Chief General Bipin Rawat that commenced today will bring out the final contours of the programme, sources said.

The Army Military Secretary Branch has planned to streamline the system of fitness tests which will now be conducted at centralised fitness testing centres. These testing centres will be controlled by the each of the six Commands and will be set up with existing manpower.Officers required to clear tests

The Army Military Secretary Branch has planned to streamline the system of physical fitness tests, which will now be conducted at centralised fitness testing centres

A test will be conducted on a weekly or fortnightly basis. All officers will need to mandatorily clear the relevant tests once in a six month cycle

Reports of the test will be sent to the headquarters of the command to the military secretary branch and the DG military training